Abstract
Copper cells in the Drosophila larval midgut were originally named for their ability to accumulate dietary copper. Recent studies have uncovered a number of intriguing similarities between copper cells and the acid-producing gastric parietal cells of the mammalian stomach. In addition to their shared roles in stomach acidification, they share a peculiar invaginated morphology in which the apical cell surface is buried deep within the cytoplasm. These shared properties of morphology and function portend the identification of shared molecular mechanisms that account for their specialized roles in digestive physiology. Cell facts: • Approximately 100 copper cells in larval middle midgut. • Orange fluorescence after copper feeding. • Specification during development is controlled by the labial gene. • Apical surface is arranged as a flask-shaped invagination. • Responsible for stomach acidification.
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